Door-handle for automobiles



W. MILLER.

DOOR HANDLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED Dec 9 1919 Patented June 1, 1920.

INVENJIEIV UNITED STATES PATEN OFICE.

WILLIAM MILLER, OF AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMESBURY BRASS AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DOOR-HANDLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 1, 1920. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \lViLLIAM MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amesbury, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Door-Handles for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to door handles for motor vehicles primarily, but is capable of application to the handles of doors for use in other places, and to handles for other purposes, as for instance the handle which op crates the ventilator in the cowl of an automobile.

Heretofore great difiiculty has been ex-- perienced in placing the handles in the doors of motor vehicles because the lock in the door is frequently put in place with its axis not parallel with the side of the door which causes the handle of the door to bind against the escutcheon plate which holds the handle in place. This binding results in great annoyance and loss of time and a large breakage of handles owing to the fact that the workmen attempt to aline the handle by pounding. Similar difficulties are also experienced in connection with the; handle which operates the ventilator in the cowl of an automobile because the angle of the cow] apron frequently varies slightly. Heretofore it has been customary to make up a considerable number of fixtures each being adapted for use with the cowl apron having a different angle, and in assembling the parts to employ whichever fixture fits the best. This causes a large and unnecessary expense which is avoided by the use of my present invention.

My invention also provides means to keep the handle from rattling when subjected to vibration. The handles also operate more smoothly than heretofore.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of a door handle and escutcheon plate embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section of the escutcheon plate shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section of the sleeve 0 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section of the member D shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows my invention applied to the operating handle for a cowl ventilator.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown at A the handle of a look not shown, such as is commonly employed in the doors of automobiles. The inner end 11 of the handle is squared for insertion in the lock. The escutcheon plate is shown at B and has a spherical depression 12 formed therein and a central opening 13 therethrough. The handle A is formed with a corresponding spherical portion 14 and there is a sleeve C also provided with a corresponding spherical portion 15. The escutcheon plate 13 is slipped on over the rear end of the handle A with its spherical depression 12 in contact with the spherical portion 14 of the handle A. The sleeve 0 is then put in place with its spherical depression 15 toward the spherical depression 14 of the handle. It is then secured yieldinglyin place in some convenient manner, as for instance b a collar D which is soldered as shown at 1 to the handle A.

Between the sleeve 0 and the collar D is inserted a spiral spring E which is conven iently located in registering annular grooves 18 and 19 formed in the opposing faces of the sleeve C and collar D. The effect of this spring is to hold the sleeve C toward the escutcheon plate so that the escutcheon plate is yieldingly pinched between the sleeve and the spherical portion 14 of the handle A. The parts are assembled as shown in F ig. 1 before. being put in place in the door.

In using the door handle embodying my invention it is put in place with the squared portion in the corresponding hole in the lock and the handle is pushed in until the escutcheon plate is in contact with the surface of the door. The escutcheon plate is then' secured by screws which pass through holes 20 in said plate. The screws in the escutcheon plate hold the handle in place. The

escutcheon plate may therefore adjust itself 105 to any position required by the position of the handle in the lock of the door.

Referring now to Fig. 5 there is shown in this figure a cowl ventilator handle F secured to the end of a rod G screw-threaded as 110 shown at 21 to engage a traveling n11t 22 on the lower end of the ventilator oporatlng arm 23. The rod G has a spherical portion 24 which engages anescutcheon plate H. substantially like that shown in Fig. 2. Contacting with the spherical portion of the escutcheon plate I I is a sleeve I held yieldingly against it by a spring K received within a groove 25 in the handle 1 he cowl apron or instrument board is indicated by the letter L and is shown as at an angle with the rod G. It will be seen that the eseutcheon plate H is free to assume the angle of the cowl apron bein secured in place by screws which pass through holes 26 in said plate, and that the ventilator handle can be rotated with perfect freedom regardless of the angle of the cowl apron. The spring K prevents the parts rattling and takes up any wear which may occur.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, an escutcheon plate having a spherical depression, a handle rod, and two members on the handle rod one of which is convex and the other is concave, said two members engaging opposite sides of the spherically depressed portion of the escutcheon plate.

2. In combination, an escutcheon plate having a spherical depression with a hole therethrough, a handle rod passing through the said hole, two members on the handle rod one of which is convex and the other is concave, said two members engaging opposite sides of the spherically depressed portion of the escutcheon plate, and means to secure the escutcheon plate and thereby the entire assembly to the surface on which the device is to be placed.

In combination, an escutcheon plate having a spherical depression, a handle rod, two members on the handle rod one of which is convex and the other is concave, said two members engaging opposite sides of the spherically depressed portion of the escutcheon plate, and spring actuated means to hold one of said members yieldingly in contact with the spherical depression in the escutcheon plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM MILLER. 

